In excess of 10,000 cannabis plants have been seized and destroyed in the Eastern District over the summer period according to police.

The plants were located public and private land across the district, ranging from south of Waipukurau to the top of East Cape.

Police operations included aerial support over 10 days from a plane and a helicopter.

Aside from the cannabis plants being destroyed, nine firearms (rifles and shotguns) and two stolen vehicles were recovered.

According to Detective Senior Sergeant Brent Greville, methamphetamine-related offending remains the primary focus of the Eastern District Organised Crime Unit, but cannabis cultivation and related offending will continue to be actively policed.

Throughout the operation police say they received good feedback from rural communities, who were grateful for the work police were doing.

Evidence and prosecution files are being processed. Therefore, details on the number of arrests and the charges involved are unavailable at this time.